STEM: Girls Scout Leadership Experience

May 16, 2013

Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles collaborates with Project Lead the Way to Help Advance High School Girls in South El Monte in Science and Engineering

What: “IMAGINE: Your STEM Future” is designed to encourage young women to explore careers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which helps girls discover their special skills and talents, connect with others, and take action to make the world a better place.

Thanks to a $1 million AT&T Aspire contribution to the Girl Scouts of the USA, local Girl Scouts will benefit from the IMAGINE educational curriculum designed to help girls imagine a future STEM career and spark interest in taking additional STEM courses in high school and college that can open doors to new career options.

Teenagers from South El Monte High School and feeder schools will team up with the Society of Women Engineers–Cal Poly Pomona and Girls in Tech–Los Angeles to have fun with interactive activities and practical experiments, such as extracting DNA from a banana and creating an electrical switch. With State Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez, O.D. closing the event, approximately 100 teenagers are expected to benefit from the program.

Background: Currently, minority students and women are gravitating away from science and engineering professions. This trend could pose a future workforce crisis since employment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields is increasing at a faster pace than in non-STEM fields. Educational experts say the U.S. must increase proficiency and interest in these areas to compete in the global economy.